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Nwabueze defends Made-in-Nigeria office, posts documents after ICPC ‘fake agency’ claim
George Nwabueze, accused by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of promoting a fake federal agency, has defended the status of the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office.
He posted documents he said showed that the initiative was linked to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
Nwabueze, who describes himself as the National Coordinator and Executive Director of the project office, has continued to reject the ICPC’s allegation that the organisation was operating without government authorisation.
The documents shared by Nwabueze on LinkedIn include a purported appointment letter dated October 3, 2025, from the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office of the OSGF, as well as an earlier letter dated July 19, 2010, which he presented as evidence that the Made-in-Nigeria initiative had existed for years.
PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify the authenticity of the documents.
The development comes days after the ICPC said President Bola Tinubu ordered the immediate arrest of Nwabueze, whom the commission identified as the promoter of the alleged fake office.
The president also ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries: M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah, following the discovery of the office, according to the ICPC.
The Commission said the organisation had been allocated space within the OSGF premises without presidential authorisation and alleged that some senior public servants had collaborated with its activities.
Nwabueze’s appointment letter
In one of the documents posted by Nwabueze and reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, on the letterhead of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, conveyed what it described as the approval of his appointment as National Coordinator/Executive Director of the Made-in-Nigeria Project Office.
The letter, dated October 3, 2025, is referenced OSGF/MIN/59310/II/205 and addressed to “George Buchi Nwabueze, National Coordinator, Made in Nigeria Project Office, OSGF, Three Arms Zone, Abuja.”
It states that his appointment was for five years, beginning from July 2025, and was renewable.
The document says the appointment followed an assessment of Nwabueze’s “commitment, contribution, and capacity” to deliver the mandate of the Special Project Office.
It also lists his responsibilities as supervising programmes, projects, and policies; overseeing regional and state coordinators across the 36 states; and organising exhibitions, trade expos, economic summits, and other initiatives to promote indigenous products and services.
A second page of the document states that the project was to use temporary office space in Room B53, Ground Floor, within the OSGF complex “for the time being” to facilitate effective coordination.
It further states that the appointment was at the pleasure of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and aligned with the objectives of the Made-in-Nigeria initiative under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The letter bears the name and signature of Nadungu Gagare, identified as the Permanent Secretary of the Political and Economic Affairs Office.
The appointment letter is significant because the ICPC’s allegation centres partly on whether the project office had official authorisation to operate within the OSGF.
However, PREMIUM TIMES has not independently established the authenticity of the document.
Nwabueze traces the project to 2010
In another document shared on Sunday, Nwabueze sought to trace the initiative back to 2010.
The letter, dated July 19, 2010, is addressed to “Buchi George”, then described as Executive Director of The Hats Centre in Owerri, Imo State.
It acknowledges receipt of a proposal dated July 16, 2010, seeking endorsement for a “Made in Naija” project planned to take place in Ireland as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 50th anniversary.
The letter, referenced NIG@ 50/S.7/C,3/45, states that the proposal should be forwarded to the Nigerian High Commission in Ireland for possible consideration.
Nwabueze relied on the document to argue that the Made-in-Nigeria initiative predates the current controversy by more than a decade.
“History and facts, from Made in Naija since 15th June 2010 to the Made in Nigeria project office,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post accompanying the document.
He questioned how a programme he claimed had existed for 16 years could suddenly be described as a fictitious government body.
PREMIUM TIMES could not independently confirm the authenticity or present status of the 2010 letter.
Nwabueze had also earlier posted another document dated April 17, 2025, proposing to grant the Made-in-Nigeria initiative the status of a special project.
The document was signed by Gagare and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
It said the initiative had been promoting Nigerian products and services locally and internationally and had organised economic forums and trade exhibitions.
It also listed potential benefits of granting the project special status, including job creation, economic growth, poverty reduction, increased domestic production, and reduced dependence on imported goods.
However, the document revealed that the project’s activities would undergo review, along with an examination of its operational modalities, to ensure clarity and effectiveness.
That detail leaves an important question over the precise administrative status of the initiative at the time Nwabueze was appointed.
Government engagements under scrutiny
Nwabueze’s defence comes against the backdrop of records showing that the organisation had established contacts with government institutions before the ICPC’s disclosure.
As PREMIUM TIMES previously reported, government records showed engagements involving the project in Abia and Anambra.
The organisation had also presented itself on its website as a strategic initiative of the OSGF, with a national coordinator, zonal directors, state coordinators and representatives in the United States and China.
Its website described the project as responsible for promoting Nigerian products, supporting small and medium enterprises, attracting investment, and organising trade fairs and economic forums.
ALSO READ: UPDATED: Tinubu suspends three permanent secretaries over fresh fake agency, orders alleged promoter’s arrest
The website also identified Nwabueze as its National Coordinator and Executive Director.
Those claims became significant after the ICPC said the office was operating without presidential authorisation.
The controversy, therefore, goes beyond whether Nwabueze was appointed to a position bearing the name of a Made-in-Nigeria project.
It raises questions about the legal and administrative status of the office, who authorised its activities, how it secured space within the OSGF premises and the extent to which public officials interacted with it.
Lingering Concerns
Nwabueze’s documents provide his account of the organisation’s history and his relationship with the OSGF, but they have not settled the dispute over its status.
The ICPC has maintained that the office was one of the fictitious government structures uncovered during its investigation into the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
The commission said Nwabueze was the promoter of the organisation and alleged that it operated with the backing of some public servants.
Nwabueze, however, has rejected the description and insists that the organisation is a project office under the OSGF.
The conflicting accounts now place greater importance on the outcome of the ICPC investigation.
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The Auditor-General of the Federation flagged an alleged ₦345.5 million duplicate payment by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy to a contractor handling the Abuja ICT Park project.
The finding was contained in the Auditor-General’s Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government for the year ended 31 December 2024.
The special audit of the communication ministry covered the period from 1 January to 31 December 2021 and raised 14 issues concerning the planning, funding, procurement and implementation of the ICT Park project.
At the time the project was being implemented, Isa Ali Pantami, who was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari, served as Minister of Communications and Digital Economy from 2019 to 2023. He was succeeded by Bosun Tijani, who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu.
₦345.5 million duplicate payment
In Issue 13 of the findings, titled “Loss of Fund Due to Duplicated Payments to Contractor,” the Auditor-General said the ministry processed and approved two separate payments of ₦345,499,262.74 each as the third tranche of the 15 per cent mobilisation advance to the contractor.
The payment was intended to establish the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Park, Abuja.
The Permanent Secretary approved the first payment on 19 January 2022 through payment voucher No. FMCDE/CAP/606/2021 dated 24 January 2022.
The same accounting officer approved the second payment on 17 January 2023 through payment voucher No. FMCDE/CAP/149/2022 dated 8 February 2023.
The report said the two paid vouchers had identical contract references, amounts, and narrative descriptions, which it said indicated duplicate payment.
It added that no record showed the first payment had been reversed, adjusted, or treated as an accounting error.
“There was also no journal entry, refund, or internal memo linking the 2023 approval to any prior transactions. These omissions demonstrate a failure of supervisory review, record reconciliation, and payment verification within the Ministry,” the findings stated.
The Finance and Accounts Department also failed to justify the repeated authorisation or the lack of reconciliation between the Cash Book and Vote Book, according to the report.
The findings said the contractor, while claiming it received only one payment in 2023, submitted a bank statement that excluded the critical period between 2 January 2022 and 8 February 2023, preventing independent verification of its claim.
The audit said the payments posed risks of fund diversion and loss of public funds, attributing this to weaknesses in the ministry’s internal control system.
The audit said the ministry’s management did not respond to the alleged duplicate payment under the contract.
The Auditor-General recommended that ₦345.499 million be recovered and remitted to the Treasury, and that evidence of remittance be forwarded to the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly.
₦447.67m from undisclosed funding sources
In Issue 11, the auditors questioned ₦447.67 million in payments to the ICT Park contractor, which they said could not be traced to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
The amount comprised ₦102,166,730 and ₦345,499,262.74 paid to the contractor, vide paid vouchers, Ref. No. FMCDE/CAP/061/2021 and FCMDE/606/2022 on 11 June 2021 and 19 February 2022, respectively.
According to the report, the payments appeared in the cash book. The contractor acknowledged them in the progress report and bank statement, but they did not appear in GIFMIS records, indicating they were processed off the system.
The audit said officials in the ministry’s Finance and Accounts Department could not explain the existence or authorisation of the alternative funding sources.
The report said the ministry also failed to provide documentation showing lawful appropriation, supplementary approval, or an external funding agreement for the payments.
The audit said the action posed a risk of misappropriation of funds and diversion of public property.
It said the ministry’s management did not respond to questions about the history of the payments in the GIFMIS records.
The Auditor-General recommended recovering and remitting ₦447.67 million to the Treasury, with sanctions under paragraphs 3106 and 3129 of the Financial Regulations (2009) if the ministry fails to comply.
₦396.65 million project funds used for unrelated items
In Issue 9, the findings showed that N396.65 million from the ICT Park project fund was used to pay for consultancy services, office consumables, furniture, and stationery printing.
The audit said approvals had been processed for consultancy services relating to the ICT Park. Still, payments were made to unrelated suppliers for consumables and office furniture that were not contained in the project’s Bill of Quantities.
The report said this reduced funds meant for the mobilisation and execution of the ICT Park project.
It also said the ministry failed to provide evidence of approval for the virement from the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning and the National Assembly.
It said the actions posed a risk of misappropriation of funds and undue delay in completion of the project, noting that the ministry failed to respond to the question on the use of the project funds for unrelated items.
The Auditor-General recommended recovering and remitting ₦396.655 million to the Treasury, with sanctions under paragraphs 3106 and 3129 of the Financial Regulations (2009) if the ministry fails to comply.
₦1.85bn paid without performance bond
In Issue 10, the auditors also found that N1.848 billion was paid to the contractor without securing a valid Performance Bond.
The report said the Bureau of Public Procurement had directed in December 2020 that a minimum 10 per cent Performance Bond be secured for major contracts before payment of mobilisation fees.
However, the ministry first released ₦1.348 billion in mobilisation payments between March 2021 and February 2023 without obtaining the required bond.
The report said that nearly three years after the contract award, the contractor submitted a commitment letter dated 29 December 2023, promising to furnish a Performance Bond upon receiving an additional N500 million. This amounts to ₦1.848 billion.
It said the actions exposed public funds to loss, noting that the ministry failed to respond to the question on the payment.
The Auditor-General recommended recovering and remitting ₦1.848 billion to the Treasury, and imposing sanctions under paragraphs 3106 and 3129 of the Financial Regulations (2009) if the ministry fails to comply.
₦500 million paid without interim performance certificate
In Issue 12, the Auditor-General said the ministry released an additional ₦500 million to the contractor on 29 December 2023 without an Interim Performance Certificate or verified progress report.
The report said the payment was made after the contractor received the 15 per cent mobilisation fee.
Instead of an Interim Performance Certificate, the ministry relied on a commitment letter from the contractor promising to provide project vehicles and undertake overseas technical trips upon receipt of the additional funds.
The audit said the actions posed a risk of diverting public funds and losing government funds. It said that the ministry failed to respond to the question on the payment.
The Auditor-General recommended recovering and remitting N500 million to the Treasury and imposing sanctions under paragraph 3106 of the Financial Regulations (2009) if the ministry fails to comply.
Premature foreign trips of ₦90 million
In Issue 8, the auditors questioned a ₦90 million provisional sum for foreign trips to inspect technical equipment for the ICT Park.
According to the findings, the sum of ₦90 million was included and described as “Allow a provisional sum of N90 million to cater for Client’s and Consultants’ representatives for foreign trips for the inspection of technical equipment to be deployed for the project,” in the priced Bill of Quantities (BOQ) for the contract for the ICT Park project, with a contract sum of ₦8.984 billion.
The report said the expenditure was being planned while the project was still at foundation level, before structural works, equipment procurement or installation had commenced.
It said no evidence was provided to justify the technical need, approved schedule, or cost-benefit assessment supporting the timing of the proposed trips.
The audit said the action demonstrated weak expenditure prioritisation and poor sequencing of project activities, noting that it posed a risk of undue delay in completion of the project and diversion of public funds.
Again, the ministry did not respond to questions about the premature foreign trip.
The Auditor-General recommended recovering and remitting the N90 million. It also recommended sanctions under paragraphs 3106 and 3115 of the Financial Regulations (2009) if the ministry fails to comply.
Denial of access to project documents
The audit also raised concerns about the ministry’s failure to give auditors access to project documents.
In Issue 14, the report said auditors were denied access to documents including needs assessment reports, bank mandates for ICT project payments, payment vouchers, due diligence reports on the contractor and the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment report.
READ ALSO: How Nigeria’s Population Commission mismanaged N245 billion on undelivered products, other controversial contracts – Auditor-General
The report said several requests for project-related documents made between March and June 2025 were not answered by the ministry.
It said the denial of access to procurement documents contravened the Constitution and risked concealing financial information, diverting government revenue, and the loss of public funds.
The Auditor-General asked the Permanent Secretary to justify the denial of access and produce all documents relating to the ICT Park project.
The report stated that the ministry did not respond to the issues raised in the audit and that the findings remained valid until the recommendations were implemented.
Other issues
Other issues included a ₦94.05 million cost overrun attributed to the failure to conduct feasibility studies and an Environmental Impact Assessment before the ICT Park project began.
The Auditor-General also flagged ₦19.47 million in costs linked to delayed site handover, while questioning the absence of resident technical supervision despite a ₦160 million provision for it.
The report further cited inadequate budgetary provisions that contributed to project delays and the ministry’s failure to conduct or document a needs assessment before procurement.
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